Victims of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme will be advanced up to $500,000 under a new plan to speed up reimbursements.

Bankruptcy trustee Irving Picard said yesterday that claimants can get the money even if they want to fight his overall decision on how much they’re owed.

Picard previously required victims to drop their disputes in order to collect from the Securities Investor Protection Corp., which covers up to a half-million in losses.

Picard is paid by SIPC and some of the victims contend his recent bills to the agency, which total about $15 million, mean it will have less money for them. A court hearing on his bills is scheduled today.